Three of the United State’s largest pork processing plants, namely Tyson Foods, Smithfield, and JBS, were closed because employees their tested positive for the coronavirus.

The plant closures reduce the production of meat by 25% and may result in meat shortages in grocery stores. In addition, farmers are impacted as they cannot sell their livestock to be processed, leading to a serious food waste issue that exacerbates disruptions to the meat supply chain.

Guidance: The pandemic affects the downstream and upstream meat supply chain. The production of meat is reduced by 25% because meat processing plants are closed as workers are sickened with the coronavirus. Continue reading →

The U.S. Postal Service’s financial health may be too fragile to fight the coronavirus.

The volume of first-class mail, the agency’s main source of revenue, has been declining for years, and the coronavirus has accelerated the downward trend. At a time when people are increasingly ordering online, one might think that the surge in package deliveries would offset these losses. Unfortunately, debt obligations tied to pre-funding retiree benefits 75 years into the future have made it impossible for the USPS to remain solvent. Should it get bailed out like so many other organizations?

As demand for potential coronavirus drugs surges during this pandemic, several countries have banned the export of these drugs. As many drugs and/or their key ingredients are made in a handful of countries, export bans create tremendous problem and potential shortages.

India announced a partial ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine in late March. Following a threatened retaliation from President Trump, the ban was at least partially lifted.

Several researchers are studying the affect of this drug in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin. One small-sample study in France showed promising, but not definitive results. In addition to potential for treating coronavirus, hydroxychloroquine has been used in the prevention and treatment of malaria for many years.